Part of “East Meets West Talks” series, The Beijing Center presents a group of experts to share insights from Daoism, Taichi, and Spiritual Discernment, offering tools and techniques to embrace the mind, body, and spirit to help tackle today’s challenges during pandemic times.
On February 15, 2021, Marquette University and The Beijing Center signed a Guaranteed Admission Agreement. Upon meeting the necessary academic and disciplinary requirements, students will be guaranteed admission to Marquette University to pursue their bachelor’s degree.
As an international academic institution with a Jesuit spirit, TBC is actively welcoming inspired and knowledgeable authors, business professionals, and scholars. On January 7, 2021, we had the pleasure of welcoming Chinese author and academic, Dr. Chen Xinyu. Formally educated at Renmin University of China and Sapienza University of Rome, Dr. Chen is currently engaged in the comparison of Chinese and Western philosophy and the archaeological study of Chinese and foreign tombs at the Beijing Administration Institute.
So, it’s that time of year again: the end! What a wonderful time it is, with a year of experiences and memories under our belt and looking forward to another great one. In Chinese culture, the end of a lunar calendar year, Chinese New Year, is a much bigger event than that of the Georgian calendar. Western holidays like Thanksgiving (see our Mid-Autumn Festival article to read about Chinese Thanksgiving) and Christmas are not national holidays. Although New Year’s Day is one, Winter Break for students typically does not begin until early January. This year, however, due to COVID concerns, our students ended their semester mid-December, in accordance with UIBE’s calendar.
With the development of the global pandemic, more academic institutions have adapted and modified education methods. Starting in summer 2020, TBC began offering virtual internship experiences to students interested in China and its growing business market. Just recently, the fall 2020 Virtual Internship Program concluded with an online event recapping the student-interns’ experiences.
Although the global education environment is ever-changing, the on-going COVID-19 pandemic has created new challenges that have prompted institutions to expand their teaching and learning methods. While these new ways have positive effects, they have also disrupted student mobility and given rise to assessment and accreditation constraints and jeopardized educators’ and students’ academic pursuits. Along with many institutions, The Beijing Center (TBC) – the only Jesuit center and intellectual hub in mainland China – has implemented new ways to educate students and create cultural exchange opportunities.
A lesser-known aspect of China is that it is one of the world’s most ethnically diverse countries. In addition to the Han, China officially recognizes 55 ethnic minority groups. A small number of Chinese nationals consider themselves members of non-officially recognized groups, for example, the Jews, Japanese, Oirat, Tuvan, etc. Throughout much of recorded Chinese history, the concepts of nationality, culture, and ethnicity were not exceptionally distinct.
On a cold Beijing afternoon, I sat down with Joyce Fu, a current Fall 2020 American Pathway Program student, who, despite the ongoing global obstacles, has managed to remain optimistic about her academic future and has found the opportunity for personal and academic growth at TBC this semester.
Each semester, students at The Beijing Center (TBC) are encouraged to participate in local service-learning activities to practice the Jesuit tradition of helping others and attaining a sense of social responsibility. This fall semester, TBC students volunteered at Five Loaves and Two Fish, an organization acting to support migrant worker families. The name Five Loaves and Two Fish originates from the biblical story about a miracle performed by Jesus where he served five thousand people with five loaves and two fish.
In Chinese culture, the occasion on which people give thanks with family is the Mid-autumn festival. Chinese New Year also celebrates similar concepts, but with emphasis on family reunion and setting precedents for prosperity in the year ahead. However, it is also said that the modern Chinese are the only non-North Americans who celebrate western Thanksgiving.